Unemployment rate in county sees slight increase

Farm and other sectors report job growth while government hiring dips

The unemployment rate in Stanislaus County remained relatively steady in June, even with cuts to the government sector, according to the latest numbers from California’s Economic Development Department.

Stanislaus County’s unemployment rate grew slightly from a revised rate of 15.5 percent in May to an unadjusted rate of 15.8 percent for June. The unemployment rate for June is well below the year-ago estimate of 17.1 percent.

There were an estimated 37,600 unemployed people in Stanislaus County in June, up by about 1,000 people from the month before. The county’s labor force grew by an estimated 2,800 people for a total of 237,600 according to the EDD.

“Historically, the labor force tends to go up in May and June as more people report they are looking for work,” said EDD Labor Analyst Natividad Martinez.

Typically, the labor force increase in summer is fueled by students and education professionals looking for work during their off-season.

An increase in hiring among most of the county’s sectors helped keep the unemployment rate steady, despite losses within the local government sector.

The local government sector, which includes school districts, city and county agencies, and special districts, saw an estimated loss of 700 positions in June, the EDD reported. A majority of those losses were at school districts, which Martinez said is a “normal seasonal decrease.”

Farming led all sectors in job growth in Stanislaus County, with an estimated growth of 2,700 positions in the month of June, according to the EDD.

Manufacturing hiring grew by an approximate 600 positions in June and has added about 300 more jobs than last year.

Construction, leisure and hospitality, and retail, particularly food and beverage stores, all added about 200 jobs each in June.

However, the overall increase in hiring is not necessarily an indication that Stanislaus County has turned a corner in unemployment.

“Most of the bigger changes in hiring — both good and bad — are seasonal and are to be expected,” Martinez said.

The unemployment rate in Merced County grew to 17.8 percent in June, up from 17.3 percent in May. San Joaquin County’s unemployment rate grew from 14.5 percent to 14.9 percent in June.

California’s unemployment rate decreased to 10.7 percent in June, and nonfarm payroll jobs increased by 38,300 during the month.

The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged in June at 8.2 percent.

The unemployment rate in Turlock came in at 12.1 percent for June, an increase from the 11.9 percent recorded in May. Denair’s rate grew from 8.6 percent to 8.8 percent in June. Hughson’s rate rose to 20.5 percent in June from 20.2 percent in May. Keyes came in with a rate of 27.3 percent, up from 26.9 percent.